LESSON 1: Big and Small Movements
Lesson Focus: Movement Range & Control
Age Group: 2-3 years old
Duration: 30 minutes

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Remember: Identify different sizes of movement (big vs. small).
2. Understand: Demonstrate movement contrasts.
3. Apply: Control movement size on teacher command and environmental cues.

MATERIALS:

1. Music player and 2–3 contrasting tracks (slow/fast, soft/loud)
2. Visual cue cards: BIG (large circle), SMALL (small dot)
3. Floor spots or tape (optional, to define personal space)
4. Drum or hand clapper (for start/stop cues)

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LESSON PROCEDURES:

1. Welcome and Warm-Up (3 minutes)

- Gather learners in a circle. Brief body wake-up: wiggle fingers, roll shoulders, stretch tall, curl small.

- Introduce vocabulary: “big” and “small” movements. Show cue cards; students repeat words and show a quick example with hands.

2. Concept Demo: What is Big? What is Small? (4 minutes)

- Teacher models paired contrasts: big steps vs. tiny steps; wide arms vs. tucked arms; high reach vs. low curl.

- Call-and-response: teacher shows BIG/SMALL card; class mirrors once, then freezes.

- Quick check: ask 2–3 learners to label teacher’s movement size.

3. Guided Practice: Move Around the Space (7 minutes)

- Set safety rules: eyes up, keep bubbles of space, freeze on drum/clap.

- Play music track 1 (moderate tempo). Prompt: “Move BIG around the room” (wide, traveling, high/low levels). Freeze. “Now move SMALL” (compact, tiptoe, near body). Alternate 3–4 times, varying tempo and stop/start cues.

- Insert contrasts by command: “Big arms, small steps”; “Small arms, big steps.”

4. Stations or Shapes: Big/Small Shapes (5 minutes)

- On the spot, learners make a big body shape (wide, tall), then a small body shape (tiny, curled). Hold for 3 counts each.

- Teacher calls mixed sequences: “Big–Small–Big,” “Small–Small–Big.” Emphasize clear changes and control.
 

5. Music Response: Dynamic Switches (6 minutes)

- Use two music excerpts: one invites BIG, the other SMALL.

- Explain: when you hear Music A, choose big movements; when you hear Music B, choose small movements. Practice switching 4–6 times with quick fades between tracks. Include 1–2 silent sections; on silence, freeze.

6. Application Game: Traffic Lights—Size Edition (3 minutes)

- Red = Freeze; Yellow = Small movements; Green = Big movements.

- Run rapid cycles with drum/clap for 60–90 seconds. Praise precise, safe control.

7. Cool-Down and Reflect (2 minutes)

- Slow breathing: grow BIG like a balloon on inhale, become SMALL on exhale.

- Quick reflection prompts: “Show me with your hands: big or small?” “What helped you change sizes?”

ASSESSMENT:

- Identification: When shown BIG/SMALL cards, learner labels or selects correct size without prompting.

- Demonstration: Learner clearly produces contrasting big and small movements on cue (body, shape, travel).

- Control on Command: Learner adjusts movement size promptly to verbal, visual, or music cues; maintains personal space and safe pathways.

- Consistency: Learner sustains chosen size for a full count (3–5 beats) and executes clean switches.

REMARKS:

- Safety and Inclusion: Define boundaries; offer non-traveling options for limited mobility. Model alternatives (e.g., seated big/small arms).

- Classroom Management: Use freeze signal consistently; position yourself to scan all learners; narrate positive examples (“I see controlled small steps”).

- Language Support: Pair words with visuals and gestures; keep commands short (Big! Small! Freeze!).

- Differentiation:

  - For emerging learners: limit choices to one body part (hands only) or one plane (high/low).

  - For advanced learners: combine parameters (big but quiet; small but fast) to deepen control.

- Transitions: Pre-cue upcoming switches (“Ready to switch in 3-2-1”) to support executive function.

- Environment: Clear floor of obstacles; place music source where you can pause quickly.

- Family/Carer Note (optional): Encourage a home game—choose a song and switch between big and small movements together.